: The Columbia Space Shuttle, on its 28th mission, broke up as it reentered Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven crew members. They were: Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark, and Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon. Communications with the shuttle were lost at 9 A.M. EST. Debris from the shuttle was found across east Texas and in parts of Louisiana. Foam insulation fell during takeoff damaging the left wing and allowing hot gases to enter the spaceship during re-entry.
Feb. 17, Chicago, Ill.: In an early morning fatal stampede from the second floor of a Chicago night club, 21 people were trampled. The club had numerous building code violations.
Feb. 14-18, eastern U.S.: A blizzard moved through the Midwest and up the East coast of the U.S. burying cities in record snowfall amounts, stranding travelers, and costing millions in cleanup and lost revenues. The storm claimed the lives of 42 people.
Feb. 18, Daegu, South Korea: A subway fire started by an arsonist, who ignited a box filled with gasoline, raced through two trains, killing at least 189 people and injuring more than 140.
Feb. 19, Southern Iran: An Iranian military airplane carrying members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards crashed in the Sirach Mountains of southeastern Iran en route to Kerman. All 276 on board were killed, making this Iran's worst air disaster.
Feb. 20, Warwick, R.I.: A fire, caused by a pyrotechnics display, engulfed a Rhode Island nightclub, The Station, killing 100 and injuring more than 150.
Feb. 24, Xinjiang province, China: An earthquake, magnitude as 6.4, struck the western edge of Xinjiang province in the far northwest of China early in the morning (02:03:44 UTC), killing more than 260 people and injuring more than 2,000. Thousands of homes and hundreds other buildings were destroyed. This area is populated mostly by the Uighur ethnic minority, most of whom are Muslim.
